Blurry
by AllyPally2
Summary: Set after 'Obsession', Chris is having a hard time dealing with himself, as well as everyone else. A bad encounter with a stranger causes some tension between him and Buck. Will this ruin everything Chris has in Four Corners, or could this stranger help?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Magnificent Seven. The character of Amy is a figment of my imagination, and completely fictional, any resemblance to persons (living or dead) is unintentional.

A/N: This is my first fan fiction story so please be kind, thanks

Blurry

Chris Larabee was sat in his favourite chair outside the saloon. He liked this spot because he could see most of the town, and still be in arms reach of a drink at the same time. Though truth be told, he had been attempting to steer clear of alcohol, or at least not down as much as he had been, since the whole incident of Ella Gaines had happened. Things had been strained enough since that woman had reappeared in his life and turned everything he knew upside down, he hardly needed to be a drunken mess every night as well. He glanced up and down the main road that ran through Four Corners. How could everything look exactly the same, yet feel so different? He looked over towards _The Clarion_ with a feeling of self-loathing building up in his stomach. Things had been particularly tense with Mary. After he had abandoned the town for Ella, he had not left things in the best way with Mary, and now he was beginning to feel that their relationship may never be repaired, at least not fully.

"You sit out here much longer, folks are gonna start thinking we got ourselves a new statue in town."

Chris almost jumped at the voice of his old friend. Although Buck had been joking with him, Chris could see the concern in Buck's face.

"I was just on my way home Buck, can't sit out here much longer with this storm brewing"

"That's not what I meant Chris"

Chris stood up to face the taller man, "I know Buck, I just…just need time to think, s'all," the gunslinger sighed.

"I understand that, hell **all** of us can understand that. After everything that happened with Ella, well, you're bound to need some time to clear your mind. But I'm worried it's more than that…"

Buck hesitated, looking at his friend. After a while he prompted Chris, "…is it?"

Still looking at the dusty street instead of Buck, an all too recognizable scowl fell upon Chris' face. "I don't know Buck."

Chris turned and tilted his flat rimmed black hat in a nod at his friend as a leaving gesture. Buck knew this was all he'd get out of his comrade, and recognizing not to push Chris any further, he returned the gesture. "Ride safe, cowboy" he winked before walking back into the saloon.

Another pang of guilt hit Chris as he walked over to untie his horse. He knew since everything that had happened all of the other six men had been worried about him. He was grateful that they had all forgiven him for the way he had left the town, and at times he wanted to talk to them, let them know how he was feeling. But it just wasn't that easy for him. He'd never been good at confiding in anyone normally, not since Sarah and Adam had died. But recently it had been worse, even Buck, who could usually draw information out of him, wasn't getting past his defences. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the rider approaching until the horse was almost beside him. Even in the dark he could make out the ebony black build of the stallion, similar to his own expect for the white markings on its nose. The horse stopped next to his, and the rider slid off a little, landing clumsily. Chris couldn't help but notice that the rider seemed a little off balance as he walked over towards to saloon.

"Nice horse, you been in Four Corners before mister…?"

The rider stopped and turned to face Chris, but he couldn't make out their face, partly due to the darkness of the evening, but also because the rider had his hat pulled down low so the brim was covering his eyes.

"Not that it's anything to do with you" came the abrupt reply, "but no"

Chris' voice came out slightly more strained this time, holding back his irritation at the rude reply, "What you doin' here Pard? If you don't mind my asking?"

"It's really none of your business actually, if you don't mind my saying"

The scowl reappeared on Chris' face, as the rider turned back around and walked into the saloon. Re-tying his horse to the wooden bar he marched into the saloon, pushing the doors open with a bit more force than he had intended. Normally he would have winced at the bang that caused the nearer townsfolk to turn and stare, but he was fired up now. It shouldn't have angered him so much, generally the rudeness of this unknown rider would have irritated him a bit, but he was borderline on furious. He could tell it was more his frustration at himself that was causing his anger at this stranger, rather than their actions but he couldn't stop himself. He scanned the room for the rider, and spotted him standing at the bar. The oversized hat was the recognizing feature, but as Chris was enclosing on the rider he noticed more about him. He was much smaller than most of the other men at the bar, just clearing Chris' shoulder as he came up behind the man. Chris grabbed the man's elbow and yanked it towards him, forcing the rider to turn to and face him. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Buck and JD staring at him, confused as to what was going on. Glaring down at the rider Chris had noticed him bare a grimace as he had been whipped around, and even now his teeth were still gritted in what Chris presumed to be pain, but still the rider didn't look at Chris. A pang of remorse hit Chris, maybe in his anger he had grabbed the rider with more strength than intended, but the rage inside him was still blazing.

"Let's try that again, shall we? What are you doing here?"

JD stood slightly behind as Buck went to Chris' side, "What the devil's goin' on here?"

"This rider an' I are trying to continue a little friendly conversation we started outside, ain't that right?"

The rider stood there, still looking down with his eyes covered by his hat. Buck gave the rider's figure a quick look. He looked small, both in height and physique, smaller even than JD. This kid shouldn't be any trouble, especially against himself or Chris, so why was Chris so heated up?

"Chris, what's this fella actually done?"

Chris felt his teeth grinding as he tried to think of a reason that could justify his actions, not only to his friend, but also to himself. "He's acting suspiciously. Anyone with a decent excuse for being here would have told us by now. Look at him; he won't even look me in the eye when I'm asking him a question!"

As he spat the words out, his free hand pushed the rider's hat in one quick movement. The rider realised what was happening and tried to grab the hat, but Chris tightened his grip on the rider's elbow. As the rider let out a high pitched scream of agony, the huge hat fell away. The whole room went silent, and Chris froze. Buck turned to his friend.

"Chris. Let go."

Chris didn't move.

"Goddammit Chris, let her go!"

Buck's warning tone snapped Chris from his trance, and his arm fell limply to his side. The rider wasn't a man. He could see her eyes now. Blue, and filled with a mix of fear and anger. As soon as his hand released her arm she cradled her elbow, shooting Chris a look of pure venom. How had he not noticed? Not only should her build have been a clue, but also now looking at her features; her mouth and nose, all feminine. He dropped him gaze to his feet.

"I...I'm sorry."

It came out as only a whisper. As soon as the words left his mouth he bolted out of the saloon.

"Chris!"

But Buck's cry was drowned out by the galloping of a horse's hooves.


	2. Chapter 2

The hat fell exposing a load of light golden hair, which was pulled back messily. Her expression was full of shock, which quickly changed to annoyance. Her skin was very pale, almost like china, except for the angry flush of red that was building in her cheeks. Even though he suspected she was usually very fair skinned, she was pale to the point where it seemed like the colour was drained from her face. Then he saw it. The grip on her arm had caused the dark brown jacket to slide down from her shoulder slightly, revealing a bloodstain on her right shoulder, still seeping through her white shirt. Then the blue eyes had looked at him. Looking **through** him.

Chris woke up with a fine layer of sweat covering his body. He wiped his brow and grabbed his watch from the bedside table. Four A.M. He heaved a sigh, knowing this was all the sleep he would get tonight, and swung his legs out of bed. Buck hadn't come to the ranch yet. He couldn't tell whether his was a good sign or not, but considering the warning tone he had heard in Buck's voice it was probably the later, considering there was a woman involved. Chris groaned and cradled his head in his hands. If things hadn't been tense already between him and folks in the town, now it surely would be. It was bad enough that it had turned out to be a woman he was starting a fight with, but the fact she was already injured made it much worse. The more he replayed the situation in his head, the more he knew he should have recognised these factors. Her size should have been a giveaway to her being female, but also the clumsy dismount, the slightly lopsided walk. Any other time, the skills he had acquired being a hired gun would have alerted him to her injury, but not this time. Chris stood up and made him way outside into the morning air. He scowled at the sun as it was beginning to rise. What was happening to him? He'd never been the calmest of men, but last night had been irrational even for him. As he got dressed and went to mount his horse, he thought about how his life has changed. Since Ella, he hadn't felt at home in Four Corners. How easy it would be to ride off alone now, to just slip away without anyone knowing. He shook the thought away, at least for now he couldn't leave. He could still see the eyes of that girl, and he knew he had to make things right. Spurring his horse, he rode the familiar dirt track to Four Corners.

It was still dawn when Chris drew his horse to a stop, though the journey had felt like one of the longest in his life. He was relieved by the quietness of the town. Less questions to answers and glares to tolerate. The girl's horse was still in the same spot, but he noticed that the luggage the horse had been carrying had been unloaded. Running a hand thoughtlessly through his blonde hair, a figure in the corner of his eyes caught his attention.

"Chris!"

Nathan Jackson stood in the livery doorway. His eyes looked slightly bloodshot, and he was wiping his hands with a ragged piece of cotton. As Chris walked over towards his companion, he noticed that Nathan flashed him a slight smile, and he was grateful for the small friendly gesture. It was more than he felt he deserved, and certainly more kindness than he would have shown to himself.

"Nathan. I don't suppose there's any chance you didn't hear about yesterday?"

"I'm afraid not. Buck filled me in on the details. And 'course the lady herself mentioned it a little"

Chris swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked his friend in the eye,

"She gonna be okay Nathan?"

"She should be fine. Not many folks will admit it, but it's quite lucky that you did have that…erm…_encounter_, shall we say, last night."

Chris stared at Nathan will a look of disbelief, and opened his mouth to speak but Nathan held up his hand to silence him.

"Hear me out Chris. Now I'm not saying it was a good thing what happened, but if you hadn't of found her injury, she wouldn't have come to be treated. She has a gunshot wound in her right shoulder. Looks close range to me. And she weren't all too happy about Buck dragging her here to be healed. He and JD had to hold her down while I got the bullet outta her arm, and I was up most of the night trying to make sure she doesn't sneak out before I bandage up the wound. Might be a small consolation, but you could have saved her life. That wound was pretty bad, and untreated it would have only gotten worse."

"Can I see her?"

Nathan looked hesitant, "Ah Chris, I dunno if that's such a good idea…"

"Please Nathan. I won't be long."

Nathan looked hard at the gunslinger. For once he could see a flicker of guilt in Chris' eyes, and with everything that had happened to his friend over the last month or so, someone had to cut him a break.

"Well, I could do with a little sleep before I bandage her up. Buck will be coming back later though, so you might wanna make it quick. He was pretty mad last night…"

Nathan shot his friend a brief warning look, before walking away. Chris made his way over to the infirmary, climbing the stairs at a snails pace. As he reached the door to Nathan's small medical centre, he paused, unsure of how to act. He lifted his fist and rapped his knuckles slowly and steadily.

"Hello?"

Chris breathed in a deep lungful of the cold morning air before stepping into the room. She was sat propped up in the bed. Her hair was loose and sprawled out across the top of the pillow behind her. Upon his entry a confused look crossed her face; she had clearly been expecting Nathan or Buck. As she began to recognise who he was, her eyes flashed him with an angry look.

"You? What are you doing here?"

This had been the reaction he had been expecting. He removed his hat, and stared at it.

"I…I came to apologise to you miss. I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday"

"You already apologised last night… is that it?"

Chris looked up in shock at the young woman. The apology had come out in such a mutter yesterday that he had assumed no one had heard him.

"Uh, no…I wanted to say that… I'm sorry that I hurt you, I didn't mean to…"

"Don't go round grabbin' people for no darn good reason then!"

She practically spat the words at him, and in her frustration, lent forwards slightly. She stifled a gasp of pain. Instinctively he edged closer to check that she was okay.

"No!" she yelled through gritted teeth, "that's close enough!"

Chris stopped in his tracks. He was close enough now to see that her right arm was propped up in a makeshift sling, no doubt Nathan had created in an attempt to try and stop her moving her injured arm too much. He held up his hands in a calming gesture. She stared at him, before leaning back against the headboard. He could see the pain leave her face, but her eyes still didn't move from glaring at him. He could detect a hint of sadness in them, and for a moment, he knew how it must be for the others to look into his eyes.

"I promise I'm not here to cause you any more trouble, Miss….?"

Contemplating for a moment, she eventually replied, "Duke. My name is Amy Duke." She fidgeted uncomfortably as she told him, as though it pained her to give away this precious information.

"Pleasure ta' meet you Amy. I'm Chris Larabee. Wish we could have met on better terms but as that's not possible, is there any way I can help you?"

Amy looked at him with a bewildered look, "And just what exactly makes you think that I need help from you Mr. Larabee?"

"Well just the fact that you're traveling alone, I just..."

"I can handle myself just **fine** thank you very much, I do not need any protection from **you**," she interrupted.

"Is that how you managed to get yourself shot?" he replied through gritted teeth. He felt bad about hurting this girl's arm but she was really beginning to annoy him now.

Shock filled up her face for a moment, and then the anger was back, "You have no idea what goes on in my life. I didn't ask for you to draw all that attention to me last night, an' I sure as hell didn't ask to be brought to this doctor man!"

Amy threw back the covers with her good arm and went to get up from the bed. Chris was stood in front of her before she could swing both legs of the mattress.

"Don't be ridiculous. You need to have your wound bandaged. I can't let you go anywhere without that at least."

Looking down at the woman in front of him he felt a twinge of blame. Regardless of whether she needed to be treated for the gun shot, it was his fault that this girl was here against her will now. She didn't move for a while, just staring at him, and he wasn't sure if she was going to try and run for the door. Eventually she rolled her eyes, accepting defeat, and dragged herself back into her seating position. Again Chris moved to help to help her seeing the pain in her face as she moved, and again she waved him away. Once she was settled back against the headboard, she closed her eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay til' my arm gets bandaged."

Chris waited to see if she would see anything else, but Amy's eyes stayed closed. Pulling his hat back on, striding over to the door, he tried to leave as quietly as he could. He had just reached the top of the staircase when he heard a yell coming from below.

"Chris!"

Buck was storming towards him, taking the steps two at a time. Before he knew it, Buck was stood directly in front of Chris's face, so close, that Chris could see Buck's nostrils flaring in rage.


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell are you doing here Chris?"

"Buck, relax. I only came here to apologise to the gi…"

"Relax? You damn near took her arm off last night! And for what?"

Chris could see the warning signs. Buck's eyes were burning into his, daring him to challenge him back. He knew how his friend felt about women, especially those who had been harmed at the hands of a man. But this was unfair, no one had been aware of Amy being female until her hat had fallen off, even Buck.

"Damn it Buck! Every time a woman comes onto the scene and you're blinded! I got news for you **Pard**! They ain't all saints, not like you think they are! Hell, if Ella weren't enough proof of that to ya!"

"You seriously comparing that girl to Ella?"

Words escaped Chris as he stared at his old friend. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind until now, but the accusation hit closer to home than he liked to admit.

"I don't need to take this, especially not from you Buck. Talk to me when you're thinking straight again!"

As he walked off, he heard Buck's yells from behind him,

"When **I'm** thinking straight? You wanna carry on with this one man vendetta against the world thing you got goin' on, fine! Just don't go bringing me or any other innocent girls into it!"

Chris stormed over in the direction of the saloon. Despite his wishes to stay sober, he needed a drink. He had never thought with everything that had been happening lately, that his oldest friend would turn on him in this way, and for such a misunderstanding. He scowled as he contemplated how long he would be able to avoid the other five men. It was still early; maybe he could have one drink and ride out of town without encountering any more hassle from his friends. He was so lost in his trail of thoughts that he almost didn't notice Mary standing in front of the saloon, and it was only when he nearly walked into her that he noticed she was staring at him. She still had a pained expression he noticed, similar to the one she had been wearing the last time they had seen each other, back when he had returned from Ella's ranch, but this time a slight shadow of concern fell across her fair features.

"Good morning"

Her voice came out delicately, as though she was tiptoeing across eggshells. It was the first time she has spoken to him since the whole events of Ella Gaines had occurred, and he realised she seemed to be testing the air between them. His scowl softened slightly. With all that had gone on, he couldn't help feeling he'd created a victim out of Mary, that somehow she had accidentally gotten caught up in the emotional crossfire.

"Mary," he replied tipping his hat to her.

She waited for him to say more, he could sense her longing for him to give her more conversation.

"Are you okay Chris?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" His reply came out a bit sharper than he had intended, and he saw the momentary look of alarm in her eyes. Again she tried to breach his stony silence with careful questioning.

"I…heard about the incident with that Duke girl last night…I suppose I was just worried that you might be…"

"Might be what Mary? Crazy? Going roun' the town attacking more women? I wish people would just stop worryin' about things that don't concern them!"

She recovered from the involuntary reaction, and instead traces of resentment appeared in her face. He hadn't meant anything that he had just said to her, but he couldn't stop it from escaping. The fight with Buck, added on to the emotional confusion he was already feeling, was causing him to take out his anger at Mary.

"Mr. Larabee, I was only going to say that you might be in need of a friend. But I can see that you don't wish for any company."

She turned on her heel and strode off towards the Clarion office. Chris watched her go, refraining from calling after her. He hadn't meant to upset Mary, but he knew that he was not in the mood for conversation at the moment. He seemed to be pushing everyone away. Shaking his head in frustration he continued on his intended course for the saloon, praying that none of his other companions were in the building. Scanning the room he noticed a familiar buckskin coat and a red coat at the bar. As he entered they both turned around, and groaning to himself Chris walked over to the two men.

"Mr. Larabee," Ezra titled his hat to the gunslinger, "if you'll excuse me, those fine upstanding gentlemen over there are awaiting my immediate return," and with a wink he walked over in the direction of a table filled with despaired looking men.

Vin threw a smile at Chris, "Reckon he's gunna rob them poor folk blind?"

When Chris didn't reply, Vin tried another tactic, "What's your drink pard?"

"Whiskey. Straight."

Vin passed the glass to his friend, and Chris drained the liquid in one gulp. Wiping his mouth he brought down the glass onto the bar with a resounding thump. Vin looked at his friend, the smile fading from his face. "Chris? You alright?"

Chris turned to face Vin, "Not really. Seems like everyone in this town thinks I'm some kinda woman beater!"

"Not everyone" It was said with such sincerity that Chris' scowl lessened a bit, if there was anyone who knew about feeling hated by people, it was Vin.

"I know Vin, I just feel like I'm on trial here or something"

"You thinkin' of leaving Four Corners?"

Chris looked down at the empty glass, then back at Vin, "I dunno…I already had thoughts about moving on from here, since Ella, I wasn't sure before though…but now…I dunno"

Vin contemplated his friend's words for a moment, "I know things ain't been great for you Chris, heck I'm not surprised you'd consider upping and leaving, does seem the easier option for ya. I wouldn't blame ya for goin', but do me a favour pard? At least stay until that girl's fully healed? Gives you enough time ta' think it through properly"

Chris stared hard at Vin for a few moments before nodding,

"Fine, but I don't think I'll be hanging around here for any longer today" as he headed towards the door, he turned around to face Vin with a half smile, "Don't worry pard, I'm not gonna run away from ya'll yet!"


	4. Chapter 4

The saloon was bustling with people, in the corner sat Vin, Ezra, Josiah, JD and Nathan. The five seemed to be the only silent ones in the room. JD looked at the four older men, before leaning forward on the table with a dopey grin spreading on his face,

"Anyone wanna hear a joke?"

The other men all exchanged looks,

"If it is as first-rate as your joke regarding the dog and his 'pa' I think I will have to decline your generous offer Mr. Dunne" Ezra quickly replied. The others all chuckled to themselves as JD beamed at Ezra before realizing his true meaning about his joke telling skills.

"Hey! I'm only trying ta lighten the mood guys! Seems like Chris' mood is rubbin' off on all of ya…" he muttered the end of the sentence as four glares turned his way.

"You think that you'd be in a better mood if you were in Chris' shoes JD?" Josiah asked in a curious tone.

"Well, I dunno…"

"JD do me a favour, don't just listen to Buck about this one" a look of concern spread across Nathan's face as he spoke to the younger man. JD looked confused at Nathan's words,

"But surely, I mean you're a doctor Nathan, and Chris did hurt that girl didn't he? I ain't no sheep, but Buck kinda has a point with this one" he paused when he gained no answer from any of the men, "…don't he?"

Josiah leaned closer to JD,

"Do you really think that Chris knew the Duke girl was a woman? And after all as Nathan said, she was injured and we would never have known if Chris hadn't have, ahem, stumbled upon the young lady, the lord works in mysterious ways."

"But Josiah, surely tha' don't excuse it?"

This time is was Vin who spoke. He had been quietly watching the conversation unfold, but now he leaned forwards,

"Listen JD, Buck's view of the situation is a little one-sided. It could have happened to any of us."

Vin's words made JD think of the incident not so long ago when he had accidentally shot and killed a woman whilst trying to stop a robbery. Vin waited for a moment, unsure as to whether JD would reply. When no response came, he leaned back into his seat, tilting his hat back down, until it almost covered his eyes. Just as silence fell over the table again, Buck entered the saloon. He noticed his friends sitting at the table instantly, but hesitated before walking over towards them. After searching the room, he finally made his way over and took one of the empty seats.

"How's she doing?" Nathan enquired to his friend.

"She's alright. Didn't talk much. Left her sleeping, but she was complain' bout a bit of pain in her arm earlier"

"I'll see what I can do, but it's probably just part of the healin' process. Thanks for watchin' her for a while Buck"

"Not a problem **Doc,"** Buck grinned as Nathan rolled his eyes. Nathan stood up and grabbed his hat from its position on the table,

"Evening fellas. Anyone needs me you know where ta' find me," and with a nod in the general direction of the men, he turned and walked out.

Buck poured himself a shot from the open bottle of tequila on the table, before releasing a long sigh.

"You okay Buck?" JD asked.

"Ahhh kid," a whistful smile appeared on Buck's face, "I'm just thinking about that girl."

"The Duke girl?"

"She's something else JD. Not like the women round here."

"I thought you said that she didn't really speak to you?" Josiah smiled

"She don't have to. I can appreciate her from just lookin' if you get my drift" Buck winked at JD, who grinned back. Again a dreamy look filled Buck's face,

"I mean…she has these big blue eyes, a rosebud mouth just made for kissin', paired with ivory skin and golden hair. It ain't the hardest job I've had to look after a pretty little thing like that" he chuckled.

"Pardon my brashness, but from the way that Mr. Jackson was talking about Miss Duke, I feel it would be safe to assume that she does not requite your feelings of admiration" Ezra smiled, not looking up from the deck he was shuffling.

A smug look fanned out across Buck's face, "I wouldn' go as far as that Ez, 'playing hard' ta' get is all"

"Being injured I suspect she's not 'playing' with you Buck, just not interested" Josiah grinned at his moustached friend, as a look of dissatisfaction grew over his features.

"All she needs is a lil' more time to come ta' her senses" Buck winked at JD, concealing his annoyance at the truth in Josiah's comment.

"Would you care to partake in a wager on that basis Mr. Wilmington?" Ezra piped in, seizing any opportunity to gamble.

At that moment the saloon doors burst open as a rowdy crowd of men entered. At the sound Buck whipped his head round to see who was walking into the room, and after inspecting the individuals he turned back to his friends. Vin lifted his hat up from it's position covering his face, and leaned forward in one swift irritated movement.

"Checking for Chris?" he asked a little more angrily than he had anticipated, and Buck had picked up on the tone.

"You gotta' problem Vin?" Buck growled at the tracker.

The other three men turned to look at Vin, a mixture of concern and shock spread amongst them. He began to feel that it would be wise to back-track his words, considering the showdown between Buck and Chris earlier it seemed a better idea not to aggravate Buck any further.

"It don't matter…" he mumbled, but Buck interrupted him

"Come on Vin, I'm sure everyone wants ta know what you have ta say. You got somethin' on ya chest, just get it off!" Buck was practically snarling at Vin now.

"You keep checkin' over ya shoulder, worryin' that Chris is gonna come in here and ruin the nice evenin' tha' you're havin', but ya needn't worry Buck, don't think he wants ta come near any place your gonna be! Not after all tha' hassle you've been givin' him!"

Before the others could say anything, Vin had grabbed his buckskin jacket from the back of his chair and stormed out of the saloon. A silence fell over the group, before Ezra cleared his throat,

"So about my previous enquiry as to your stance on that wager Mr. Wilmington?"

Nathan Jackson was sat in the corner of his healing clinic, leaning back in his chair and sharpening his throwing knives whilst Amy slept. The candle light was flickering, forcing him to concentrate harder on his knives, which in turn was causing tiredness to draw over him more. He glanced over at his sleeping patient, even though it was not directly her fault, he couldn't help but wonder to himself just how this one young woman had managed to cause such trouble during her time in Four Corners already. A loud knock at the door caused Nathan to jump from his thoughts, almost nipping his finger with a blade. He stole a quick glance at his watch, and noticed the late hour. Who would be visiting him or Miss Duke at this time in the night? Instantly his thoughts ran worriedly to Chris or Buck, either of whom he would be sending away at this hour. As he pulled the door open, preparing himself to tell the men that they needed to leave, he was pleasantly surprised, but also more confused by what he saw. In place of the two that he had been expecting, Nathan found Mary Travis stood in front of him.

"Why, good evening Ms. Travis. I must say this is a pleasant surprise" Nathan smiled at his female companion.

"Good evening Nathan" she smiled back at him, before noticing the knives still in his hands, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she lifted her eyebrows in a questioning manner as the words left her lips. Nathan followed her gaze to the knives, and shook his head laughing softly.

"Not at all ma'am, but I have to ask what you're doing here so late?"

Mary drew the shawl she was wearing tighter across her shoulders before answering,

"I couldn't sleep very well Nathan, I hope I'm not being an inconvenience, to tell you the truth I hadn't actually noticed how late it had gotten?"

A silent shake of Nathan's head encouraged her to continue, "I was thinking about Miss Duke, and I was wondering if there was any way I could help?" She paused as she bent down to pick up the basket that was resting next to her feet, "I brought a few pairs of clothes that I thought might be useful, they're nothing special, but I thought that she might need a change of clothes…?"

Nathan's smile grew wider at the woman. Mary was always so kind and charitable to those who she could help, and even though this girl was causing a little bit of strain upon the happenings of the village of late, she was still extending an olive branch.

"That's most generous of ya' Mary. I warn you that you're style might not exactly be to this girl's taste though…" Nathan grinned, moving aside so that Mary could enter the room. She walked over to the table and placed the basket down, as she turned back to face Nathan a look of worry appeared in her eyes.

"It's a good job I showed up here Nathan. You look exhausted. Why don't you go have a sleep and I'll keep watch over her?"

As Nathan opened his mouth to speak, Mary cut him off before he could start,

"I will let you know if there are any problems with Miss Drake, I promise" she smiled at her medic friend.

"Well, I am quite tired, but I woudn' wanna feel like I'm putting you out Ms, Travis."

"Nonsense Nathan, it gives me something to do"

Nathan gave Mary a look filled with gratitude, and started walking over towards the door,

"Thank you Mary, I'll be back in a little while" he smiled before exiting the room, leaving the two women alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Mary sat down in the chair facing the bed. She could still feel the warmth from where Nathan had been only a few moments ago. As she turned towards the basket of clothes on the table next to her, she noticed a figure storm out of the saloon doors out of the corner of her eye. Involuntarily, quick as a flash her head turned fully towards the window. It was Vin. He leaned forward with his arms onto the low wooden bar outside of the saloon for a few moments, facing the floor, before lifting his head, slapping his thigh in what Mary could only presume was anger, and then paced off towards the direction of the livery. Mary turned back to her pile of clothes, heart beating faster ever so slightly. She had been expecting Chris, there was no point in denying it to herself, and she wasn't sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed that it had been Vin instead that she had seen. She had always had mixed emotions when it came to Chris Larabee, but recently her feelings towards him and become even more conflicting and unsure. Every time she looked at the cowboy, Mary saw a tormented man, but things were different between them now. Something had shifted in the way that Chris thought of her, she could tell by the way he had acted towards her of late. Perhaps he felt guilty? Or perhaps he resented her? Mary sighed to herself, knowing that unless the gunslinger enlightened her on the issue, and that would be highly unlikely to happen, she would never uncover the mystery. But it wasn't only Chris' behaviour of thoughts that had changed. Mary herself had began to see Chris in a new light since the whole affair with Ella had happened. Whilst Chris was a good man, Mary couldn't shake the way in which he had been so readily able to forget about the town of Four Corners. _And me_, she thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a groan from the bed. Mary turned to see Amy stirring from her sleep. It looked as though she had either knocked her injured arm or that the pain had come back, as a grimace accompanied Amy's groan. Mary, unsure of whether to approach the girl, edged her chair slightly closer but remained seated. Amy's eyes finally fluttered open, and as she caught sight of Mary a baffled expression filled her face.

"Are you Mrs. Travis?" the girl asked, catching Mary completely off guard.

"Uh…yes, I am. And you're Miss Duke I believe?"

The girl answered with a nod, as she pulled herself in a sitting position.

"May I ask how you knew who I am Amy?" Mary was careful to ask in a docile tone.

"That Nathan doctor man was tellin' me about some of your town folk. You seem to be kinda important around here Mrs Travis…though I'm not exactly sure what you're doing here?"

Mary's breath caught in her throat, and she looked down momentarily as the girl repeated her old title. Stifling back the familiar feeling of sadness that resurfaced whenever she allowed herself to think of Steven, she looked up at Amy, biting back the sting of tears.

"It's just Miss Travis, my husband passed away almost two years ago…" Mary could feel her voice trailing off. Amy's brow furrowed in a look of empathy,

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs…uh sorry I mean Miss Travis"

Mary smiled bitterly at Amy,

"Mary, please. And the reason that I'm here is that I was wondering if there was any way I could aid you Amy?"

"You a doctor too?" a confused gaze appeared on Amy's face.

"No I'm afraid not," Mary laughed, "but I brought some clothes that you might like to change into? And if I can arrange a place for you to stay or anything like that I'd be most happy to help?" Mary held up a few items of clothing from the top of the pile, "I'm afraid it's nothing fancy or…"

"No thanks," Amy's reply cut Mary halfway through her sentence. Mary turned her attention away from the clothing in her hands to Amy. The girl was staring at the skirt with a look of unease, then seemingly realising the abruptness of her reply, she hastily continued,

"I mean, I'm thankful for your offer Ms Travis, don' get me wrong, It's just I'm not exactly a skirts and dresses kinda gal."

Mary chuckled, folding the skirt back into the basket,

"That's alright. To be honest with you Nathan did warn me that you and I may not share the same taste in clothing. But what about the other issues, like boarding?"

Amy looked thoughtful for a moment. Mary watched intently as her eyes seemed to glaze over, with a sad look, and Mary assumed her thoughts were racing off to a distant familiar place. Almost as swiftly as the wistful look had arrived, it disappeared, but Mary could still sense a hint of sadness within the girl's eyes.

"No thank you Mary. It's mighty kind of ya'll to offer, but I plan to be moving on from Four Corners as soon as I can ride again. To tell you the truth I hadn' exactly planned on stopping here in the first place."

Mary nodded, smiling at the young woman in front of her. She couldn't help but be intrigued as to not only where this girl had been or was going, but also as to who she was. She seemed so young, but Mary could also sense pain in this woman that made her manner appear much older. Especially in her eyes. Mary couldn't shake the torment she has witnessed Amy trying to conceal. She knew how it felt to look into the eyes of a person in distress, she had been doing so to herself for the last two years. But she could also feel the wall that this girl had built up around herself. A knock at the door saved Mary from her anxieties,

"That'll be Nathan here to check up on you," Mary smiled at the younger woman. The smile was still on her face as she opened the door.

"Good morning Mr. Jackson, I hope you feel better res…" she was cut short by the sight she found in front of her. Chris Larabee was looking down at her, a concoction of surprise and sheepishness on his face. Mary felt her mouth drop open in shock, and once again the conflicting feelings began to rise in her. Beating them back down, Mary pulled the door closed behind her, giving her a chance to regain her composure. She turned back to face Chris with a cool, neutral expression,

"Mr. Larabee. On what business are you here?"

Chris shuffled his stance awkwardly, looking at his feet.

"Mornin' Mary, sorry to interrupt, I was just comin' to check up on how Miss Duke's doing s'all."

Mary was unsure of how to reply to his answer. She was unsure of whether it was the sight of Chris, or the result of stepping outside into the morning sun, but it seemed her tireless night was finally catching up with her. A wave of sleepiness crept over her, and she could feel her eyes beginning to droop. Unaware, Chris cleared his throat and lifted his gaze to look Mary in the eye.

"I was kinda hopin' to catch you though Mary."

She fought back a yawn, and Chris took this as his cue to continue,

"About yesterday. I'm sorry for takin' my anger out on you Mary. I truly am. And not just yesterday…" he paused, seemingly struggling to find the appropriate words for what he wished to say, "I guess I'm just sorry for the way tha' things have been goin' on between us. An' I guess I'm hopin' that it ain't too late for us ta' try and fix things?"

Mary stared at Chris intently. The sincerity was obvious in his eyes, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. With everything that had happened to Chris over the last few years, the least she could do was give their friendship a second chance.

"I'll be perfectly honest with you Chris. I want things between us to stop being so strained as well. I miss having you as a good friend," she flashed a half smile at him, "but, it's going to take some effort on both our parts. I know that you are dealing with a lot of issues presently Chris, but you have to be more wary that I'm only here trying to help you." She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat as she prepared herself, "I actually have something to tell you. I have for a while…Whilst you were out near Red Fork, at Ella's ranch….Gerard came to visit me."

Mary couldn't help but stop talking temporarily, searching for a reaction from Chris. She noticed his jaw clench slightly, but this was the only indication of any change in emotion.

"He and I….well I believe that our relationship may be developing again…and I just thought that I should let you know…"

Chris waited patiently for Mary to finish, and when he was sure she had completed her sentence, he smiled at her. Not a beaming smile, but not quite a forced smile either, it was a genuine small smile,

"I'm happy for you Mary, congratulations. Gerard is a good man, and he's good with Billy. You deserve some happiness, lord know it."

The yawn that Mary had been fighting finally surfaced, and throwing one last smile in Chris' direction, she turned towards the stairs,

"Thank you Chris. Nathan said that he would be back soon, but would you mind waiting with Amy until he arrives? I am struggling to keep my eyes open all of a sudden…"

"Of course," he smiled back at her.

As Mary turned to start walking down the stairs she heard Chris call out to her,

"Mary?"

"Yes Chris?"

"Thank you, for y'know…."

Mary smiled, "You don't need to thank me Chris." And with that she made her way down the stairs. Chris' gaze followed her as she made her way across the dirt track road towards _The Clarion_ office.


	6. Chapter 6

He had meant what he had said, he genuinely was happy for Mary, and she did deserve some joy in her life. He hadn't been expecting her to mention Gerard, but he hardly had any right to be surprised. He had not been involved in Mary's life, at least not really, for some time now. Gerard could be the man for Mary that he could never be, he realised that now, no matter how bitter a taste it left in his mouth to admit it. He turned around and walked into the medical room. Amy was staring at him as he entered a look of suspicion present in her features.

"Back again Mr. Larabee?"

"Fraid so, Amy," he smiled as he dipped his hat at her, before sitting down and placing it on the table next to his arm.

"Ms Travis seems nice…" Amy commented.

Though Chris knew it was aimed at him, it was almost as though she was making an observation to herself. Chris watched her carefully for a while as Amy stared down at the sheets covering her for a minute. Her expression was concentrated, and it looked as though she was thinking over something important.

"I feel like I should apologise to you Chris…" she eventually muttered in a tone so low that he almost didn't hear her. Taken slightly aback, he leaned forward,

"Pardon me?"

Amy's tightened her fist's grip on the bed sheets, and he realised that she must have already been gripping them whilst she had apologised to him. The strained look appeared on her face again, and it looked as though she was gritting her teeth at the prospect of having to utter an apology to him twice. He had to bite his lip to prevent a grin, as he waited for her to speak.

"I feel like I owe you an apology…" she started again. Chris couldn't help himself form butting in,

"Oh, no I heard that part, I was wonderin' why?" he grinned at her as Amy's head whipped round to face him with a glare that could kill. Losing the grin he made eye contact with her,

"Seriously though, why'da feel that you should be apologisin' to me?"

She took a moment before she spoke. He noticed the intensity in her eyes, staring at him still while she paused for thought.

"I kinda heard you and Mr. Wilmington arguin' yesterday after you left"

"That wasn't your fault Amy." He leaned even closer towards her as he said the words, and she felt the seriousness in his tone. She looked at him properly for the first time. He was handsome, in a rugged, uncaring sort of way. She was intrigued by the way that his face could seem both unwelcoming and friendly at the same time. He broke away from her gaze, and she realised that she had been staring at him. She had probably been staring at him silently for a little longer than had felt comfortable for him, but Amy sensed he disliked an inclination of intimacy. She has seen what she thought to be loneliness and sadness in his eyes, and it appeared he didn't like the possibility that she could have recognised this. She decided to bypass what she had noticed,

"It is, at least in part. I don' think he'd have been arguing with you for hurtin' a girl if I wasn't to blame"

Chris leaned back, mindfully stroking his chin, absent-mindedly staring at the floor,

"What else did you hear?"

"I wasn' eavesdropping if that's what you're implyin!" it was meant to be a protest of innocence but it came out a little more aggressive than she had planned. Chris' eyes snapped up to look at her, with mild confusion,

"That's not what I was sayin' Amy. I was only wonderin s'all."

She looked down at her lap again, this time in embarrassment,

"I'm sorry Chris…I heard a couple bits, you were basically outsida' my room y'know…I heard the name Ella a few times, sounded like she was importa…" she stopped midstream as anger clouded Chris' features. He looked down at his hands, which had formed into fists at the mention of Ella Gaines. Amy had noticed his hands tightening, and watched hypnotised as his knuckles turned white. Instantly she knew she had made a mistake,

"I'm sorry, I didn' mean to…" she started to apologise but Chris held up one of his hands in a silencing gesture. She stopped abruptly mid sentence, unsure of what to do next. He continued to stare down at his fist, with his other hand almost directly in front of her face. His palm was so close to her that she could notice it was shaking, in fact all of him was shaking in a silent rage. He brought his head up slowly to look at her, and the anger in his face scared her slightly, even though she had been expecting it. His nostrils flared as he took calming breaths, and Amy sat frozen, willing herself to look away from Chris, but unable to tear her eyes away. Never before had she seen a man so furious. He stood up silently, walking to the other side of the small room in such a way that she could feel the pain in every footstep. Amy watched as he stopped, facing the far wall with his back to her. She was not expecting the loud thud that followed afterwards, and jumped at the sound as Chris slammed his fist against the wall.

"Don't apologise. It's not your fault. Ella Gaines is the name of the woman that you heard mentioned." She could practically hear his teeth grinding on the words, "And as far as her bein' important, I suppose you could put it tha' way."

It was only as she went to reply that Amy realised she had been holding her breath throughout this whole episode,

"You don't have ta tell me about this Chris..." the words came out gently, the softness cutting into his blind rage. He turned on the spot, looking at the woman on the bed with a sensation of horror. She hid the terror from her expression well, masking it with bewilderment instead, but as he drew closer he recognised the alarm in her eyes.

"Ella Gaines murdered my wife and son three years ago."

He hadn't meant for the statement to come out so blasé. It had sounded so cold, so matter of fact, and the voice that he heard had sounded alien to him. He wasn't sure what he was doing. Why he was telling Amy his life story, but more importantly the way it was coming out. He had switched from punching walls in fury at the mention of Ella's name, to coldly stating truths about the murderous witch. No wonder Amy was staring at him. He couldn't place the look she was giving him, but he was pretty damn sure that it couldn't be a good sign. Feeling defeated by his emotions he sunk down into the chair beside the bed, resting his head in his hands, staring downwards.

"I'm so sorry Chris…" her voice was tender, but louder than he had expected. Drawing him out of his thoughts of self pity he looked up to find that Amy had moved herself out of bed to directly in front on him. As his eyes met hers, Amy moved her hand from where it had been gently touching his elbow. He hadn't even felt her touch. It was his turn to stare helplessly at her. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't feel. All he could do was watch her face intently.

"I can't imagine how it must feel, ta' know the person who killed someone tha' you loved…" she brushed a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ear as she spoke. Chris still silent, watched as the burnt gold strand rejoined with the rest of her hair. Next he looked at her freckles, dotted around her nose. One by one he paid the utmost attention to them, desperately attempting to avoid her eyes.

"When you lose someone…it never really goes away does it, the pain I mean…" the grief in her voice broke him from his trance.

"Who was it?"

"My mother…"

He sighed as he sat upright,

"I'm sorry ta' hear that Am…"

"It doesn' matter." She stopped him short, she was looking away from him now, staring deeply at the wall which he had punched earlier, "I mean it does matter, but it was so long ago now, I kinda feel like I shouldn' bring it up." He could almost hear the tears in her voice, "I'm not tryin'ta compare it to what you've gone through" she added quickly looking at him with such a pained expression that would have melted even the hardest of hearts. She looked away again, and he racked his brain for a way to erase the silence that had fallen in the room.

He needed to leave the room, he couldn't breathe around her anymore. She knew his darkest secret, a complete stranger and he had told her the earth shattering news that even he had only discovered recently. But simultaneously he felt that he had uncovered a secret from her that nobody had ever been privileged to before. Suddenly his rage was back again, and this time it filled him, until even his vision was tainted red. How could he have been so foolish? All this time he had kept his business to himself, not a word had slipped past his lips about how the whole situation with Ella had really affected him. He had shut the world out, all those who cared about him, to the point where he seemed a stranger to them. And now he had given away all of his emotions to Amy, a girl he hardly knew! He hadn't actually spoken about how he was feeling but he hadn't needed to. Trembling with rage he stormed out of the room without even a second glance at Amy.


	7. Chapter 7

The way he had felt being scrutinized under her gaze earlier. No one had dared to attempt to peel back his defences like that, not since Sarah. It had made him feel vulnerable, and he hadn't liked it. Amy had also seemed to recognise this, as she had changed tactic immediately after he had looked away from her. And then he had gone and exposed his deepest emotions to her. Chris let out a long, loud groan as he replayed the events from earlier that day back in his head. All this time he'd been keeping it all to himself, his thoughts and feelings about his wife and son, what had really happened with Ella, heck, even his life story was a mystery to many of his companions. The bitter chill of the wind swept up the sleeves of his shirt, interrupting his thoughts. _Weather's getting worse, won't be long til that storm hits_, he mentally noted to himself, standing up from the porch area of his ranch. He'd been sat on the wooden steps outside his home since he had arrived back from town, deep in thought. The image of Amy's face kept filling his mind over and over again. That expression she had displayed was troubling him. He was still unable to place it exactly, but the best he could come up with was a mixture of sympathy and horror. But there was something to it that he couldn't work out. Anyone would have looked shocked and scared at his actions, but he had seen another element in Amy's eyes, and it had been troubling him all the ride home, and for hours after. As he reached the top step, he noticed an empty whiskey bottle standing alone on the wooden porch in front of him. Bringing his leg back as far as he could, he released it and kicked the bottle with as much force as he could. The bottle connected with the wall, smashing into pieces and landing on the floor. Chris sighed; kicking the bottle had a slightly cathartic effect, but not as much as he had been hoping. Opening the front door, he walked over to his favourite chair and slumped down into it. He knew what was really troubling him, for the first time in weeks his eyes had been opened as to how he was treating his friends. The anger and frustration he was feeling, he had thought it would be alright if he bottled it up and kept it to himself, as he had become accustomed to doing after losing Sarah and Adam. But something in his interactions with Mary and Amy had forced him to remember all of the incidents when his anger had indirectly been aimed at his friends. Ever since the seven had returned from Red Fork, Chris had kept himself to himself, but whenever he had been feeling angry, instead of telling his six associates what had been on his mind, he had began arguments with them. '_You can't keep going on like this,' _he could almost imagine Sarah standing in front of him as he heard her voice in his head.

"Well now, how are my favourite two ladies doin' on this here fine morning?"

Buck Wilmington took his hat off in an exaggerated movement, and twirled his arm in circles as he bent down in a mock curtsey. Mary giggled at his behaviour quietly, it was obvious to her who Buck was really here to flirt with, and as she glanced over and saw the look on Amy's face, it seemed that she was also aware of Buck's intentions. Buck returned his hat to his head and made his way closer to Amy, until he was practically sitting next to her on the bed. The expression on Amy's face as she tried to shuffle herself farther away from Buck each time he edged closer forced Mary to look down and focus on her needlepoint to stop herself from laughing aloud. She had been repairing a pair of Billy's trousers and talking to Amy before Buck had swooped into the medical clinic, and whilst she didn't unwelcome Buck's presence, she had been hoping to learn more about Amy. Somehow she didn't think Amy would want to share any personal details about herself whilst Buck was around, and as Mary looked up, her thought was confirmed. Buck was trying his best lines on Amy, who in reply was staring at him with a despairing look on her face.

" Did I mention tha' you have one of the prettiest pairs of eyes tha' I've ever been privileged ta' see Miss Duke?"

Again Mary had to suppress a snigger as Amy rolled her eyes at Buck's comment.

"Let me ask you somethin' Mr. Wilmington,"

"Of course Miss Duke," Buck grinned, "and please, call me Buck," he added with a wink.

"Okay then, Buck. Does this sorta' thing ever usually work for ya?"

Buck chuckled at Amy's comment, before catching sight of the serious expression on her face. Composing himself he took his hat from his head and held in against his chest.

"Miss Duke, I am offended that you would think so little o' me. Would I lie to a pretty woman such as yourself?"

A disbelieving look filled Amy's face, and as she opened her mouth to give Buck, what Mary expected to be a piece of her mind, Mary stood up,

"Buck, could I talk with you for a moment outside?"

Buck turned to look at Mary, with a questioning look that she could tell meant he didn't want to leave the room.

"That sounds like a good idea ta' me, I was gonna have to ask you ta' leave here in a minute anyway while I bandage up Miss Duke's arm,"

Buck turned to face Nathan, as the man returned into the main room of his medical centre. He had forgotten that Nathan had been gathering bandages and equipment for the back room of the building. Returning his hat onto his head, he tipped the brim at Amy with a wink, before following Mary out of the clinic.

"Is everythin' okay Mary?

"I was wondering whether you've spoken to Chris yet?" Mary asked gently, she knew better than to provoke the situation any further. Buck's jaw tightened slightly at her question, and Mary wondered whether if was wise of her to have said anything at all.

"No, not since the other day, but I'm sure you heard all about that…"

Mary bit her lip at his tone. It was clear he didn't want to discuss the matter, taking a breath she continued,

"I only ask because…well I hate to see you two like this. You and Chris have been friends for a long time, and this whole incident…"

"What about it?" Buck interrupted her with more than a hint of anger in his tone.

"Well, frankly I think its foolish for you two to be at such loggerheads over a simple misunderstanding!"

Buck opened his mouth to argue with her, but Mary continued on before he had a chance to disrupt her again,

"I know how strongly you feel about women being harmed Buck, everybody does. **Especially **Chris. If you're willing to throw away your friendship over this, well to be perfectly truthful with you Buck, I think that would just be plain stupid! Even Amy doesn't understand why this has caused such an issue between you both! I'm not saying that Chris is blameless here, but honestly, you both need to stop acting like children and talk to each other!"

Buck watched open-mouthed as Mary walked away, leaving him stood in the dusty street alone.

"Is that too tight?"

Amy shook her head as Nathan stared down at her. Smiling her stood up from where he had been kneeling beside the bed to apply the bandages to Amy's arm. We washed his hands in the basin before turning back to Amy with a more stern look on his face,

"There, all done. Now, your wound may be bandaged up Amy, but you still gotta take it easy, you ain't healed fully yet."

"Can I ride with it?"

"What kinda' distance are we talking here?"

Amy's brow creased as she contemplated her answer for a moment,

"I dunno' exactly, I don't usually plan ma' routes that much…maybe Watsonville…"

"Watsonville? That's nearby I believe, I've heard folk talk about it…" Nathan considered the information for a moment, "I suppose if you rode gently Watsonville would be an alright journey, but I mean it when I say ya' gotta take it easy Amy. Whatever reason tha' you got shot for, you can't risk anythin' like that happening again. Do you understand me…?"

She nodded her head without looking at him, and said nothing. Nathan couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble this woman had been involved with before that had lead to her being shot. Whatever it was, he had gotten the impression from his time healing Amy that she wasn't exactly the most forthcoming when it came to personal information. _If I let her ride out of here, what's to say she's not gonna get herself killed?_ Nathan mused to himself.

"I wouldn' recommend ridin' outta here anytime soon though…"

Amy's head whipped up to stare at him,

"What? Why?"

"There's a storm due to hit town tonight. Even with your arm healed you'd struggle ta' ride though that"

"You don't have any idea what I'm capable of!"

Anger was brimming in Amy's eyes, and Nathan wasn't sure whether it was in defence of her riding abilities, or due to frustration that she might not be able to leave Four Corners.

"Maybe so, but I know what you're not, an' trust me, you ride out inta' that storm and you won't make it even ta' Watsonville. I won't stop ya' if ya' really want to go, but its your choice."

She continued to stare at him for a moment, and it seemed as though she was summing up her options. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a loud knock at the door caught both of their attention.

"Come in," Nathan called out, still gazing at Amy with worried curiosity. Buck entered the room, causing Amy to let out a small groan at the sight of him.

"Buck? What are you doing back here?" Nathan turned his attention to his friend in surprise.

"I wanted ta' ask Miss Duke here a question."

Amy studied his face carefully. The playful nature with which he had been regarding her with earlier seemed to have disappeared. Instead Buck appeared to be aggravated, and she picked up on a slight manner of impatience in his voice. He walked over close to the bed, almost where he had been standing before when he had been flirting with her, but this time he moved differently. Instead of a calm, swaggered walk towards her, he hurried over at a brisk pace, almost marching. He looked down at her, and she couldn't recognise any traces of a smile on his face.

"Did he hurt you?"

It took her a little while to understand just who the 'he' was that Buck was referring to. It seemed that the small amount of time that it had taken Amy to realise his meaning, was too long for Buck,

"Chris. Did he hurt you?" this time he asked it with a little less control in his voice, and Amy could see his nostrils flaring.

"Not intentionally…"

This was obviously not the answer that Buck had been hoping for, as he grabbed the back of his neck with his hand and rocked back on his heel slightly.


	8. Chapter 8

"Lord help that girl as she attempts to resist Buck's charms," Josiah smirked.

He, Ezra and J.D. had been walking along the road when they had just seen Buck as he had rushed into Nathan's clinic, and now they were stood on the street below, looking up. Ezra turned to grin at Josiah's comment, they all suspected just why Buck was paying Nathan's medical centre a visit,

"I gather the impression that Miss Duke will advantage me in my wager with Mr. Wilmington," a cheeky grin filled Ezra's face as he spoke the words.

J.D. turned to face Ezra with a look of annoyance on his face,

"C'mon guys, give Buck more credit! You've seen wha' he's like with the ladies, I think ya'll underestimatin' him!"

Vin Tanner was so engrossed watching the whole scene from where he was perched outside of the saloon, that he almost didn't notice the long black coat out of the corner of his eye. He drew his attention away from Ezra, Josiah and J.D. and twisted round to face his friend.

"Was startin' ta' think you'd skipped out on me Pard," he grinned.

"Never hear the end of it if I did tha', figured I'd save myself the ear-ache," Chris smiled back briefly, before nodding his head in the direction of the other men, "What's goin' on over there?"

Vin followed Chris' eye line to J.D. defending Buck's 'animal magnetism', whilst Josiah and Ezra were trying hard not to laugh and rile J.D. up even more.

"I believe that Buck is tryin' his luck with our new friend," Vin was still grinning as he said the words, "Not that he's getting' anywhere by tha' looks of things."

Buck had just reappeared at the top of the stairs. Vin had clearly understood the look on Buck's face to be one of disappointment, it was an easy mistake to make, and Chris suspected that Ezra, Josiah and J.D. would do too, but he knew Buck too well. He could tell that something was bothering Buck, he had only seen him furrow his brow like that a few times before, and those had been when Buck was really concerned about something. Without a word he started walking over towards where the other men were stood on the road. He could sense that Buck was staring at him as he made his way across the dirt track, and the other men had obviously noticed this too, as they all turned to face him approaching towards them. Josiah was the first one to click the situation, and grabbed Ezra and J.D. by the arm,

"I think we'd better join Vin over at the saloon for a drink, don't you?"

"But Mr. Sanchez I have yet to establish just how successful Mr. Wilmington was with his little endeavour…" Chris could hear Ezra as he was dragged away. Buck had reached the bottom of the staircase by now and the two men stood directly in front of one another staring at the dusty ground. Chris cleared his throat to speak, he had been preparing himself for a cold reception,

"We seem ta' keep here, Nathan must be getting' pretty sick o' the sight of us," he jested. Buck continued to look down but Chris noticed the corners of his mouth turn up in a hint of a smile.

"Look Buck, you're my oldest friend. You've been with me through ma' worst and darkest times, and lord knows, they've been pretty damn dark…" Chris paused, drawing his breath, he wasn't one for emotional talk, and this was making him feel uncomfortable, but he knew he needed to continue. "An'…well I'm not prepared to throw all of that away over something like this. An' I know that you aren't either."

"It ain't about Amy."

Chris stopped, caught off guard as Buck spoke. Buck finally raised his eyes to look at Chris, and he could see what he thought was guilt in them. "It was never really about her, I mean it was a little bit to start with, but…not really."

Buck sighed, frustrated as he either failed to find the words he wanted to use, or couldn't bring himself to speak them.

"I know. I figured it out Buck. An', I'm sorry about how I things have been since Ella."

Buck stared with his mouth slightly agape at Chris.

"How'd you know?"

It was Chris' turn to smile now,

"We've been friends for a long time Buck. Sometimes I think I know you **too** well," he winked at his moustached companion as he finished the sentence.

"You don' need to apologise though Chris. I've been overreacting about the whole situation. But I've been thinkin' about it a lot. What happened with Ella I mean…An' I wanna help ya', more than I have been doing." Buck stopped for a moment, as a sheepish look filled his face, "but I mean it Chris. I know it sounds corny and tha' but, whatever you wanna do I'll be right there at your side. If ya' wanna find her, I'll be the first one saddled up and ready to ride out."

Chris smiled at Buck,

"Just like old times."

"Just like old times. C'mon I'll buy ya' a whisky, and then we can figure out why my animal magnetism ain't working on Miss Duke up there. Who better to test it out on than Inez?" a wicked grin grew on Buck's face, as he wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder, and the two men walked over towards the saloon together.


	9. Chapter 9

"Jesus! Chris you scared the life outta me!"

Nathan Jackson was stood in the doorway of his medical clinic clutching his chest, a look of terror on his face. He had been on his way to his room, ready to retire after a long couple of days, but when he had opened the door Chris had been stood there rocking back and forth slightly on his heels, with his fist raised about to knock on the door. Chris stood there now, still on the other side of the entrance into the room,

"Sorry about tha' Nathan, didn't realise you were scared so easy," he smirked at his medic friend. Nathan threw a mock glare up at Chris,

"Don't normally expect you or anyone ta' be right outside o' my door in the middle of the night," he beamed back. Chris chuckled at the comment, and waited for Nathan to catch his breath again.

"What can I help ya' with Chris? I heard that you and Buck made up, about time!" he added still grinning. Chris pulled his black hat from his head, and tugged at the rim,

"I…uh…well I was just wonderin' if I could come in ta' talk quickly with Amy?"

"I'm 'fraid not…"

"Sure thin', I thought you'd probably say no, what with it bein' so late an' all…" Chris cut in, still thumbing the rim of his hat, but staring at it more intently now.

"No Chris, I just meant tha' she's not here anymore…after these past few days I know better than ta' try an' keep you an' Buck outta here…"

Chris' head whipped up to look at Nathan, his rugged features forming into an all too familiar frown,

"She's gone? Left town?"

"I'm not sure…I tried ta' talk her outta leavin' for now, what with this bad weather, won't be long at all before she re-opens that wound….but whether or not she listened ta' me….well that's another story…"

Chris stood silent for a moment, and Nathan couldn't read the expression that formed on his friend's face. Over the years Chris had perfected his poker face, leaving even the most intuitive puzzled when he wanted. After a while he replaced his hat onto this head,

"Thanks Nathan, sorry ta' bother ya."

With that he turned and made his way down the stairs, and Nathan watched him as he went. He followed Chris' figure with his eyes, staring hard as he walked away.

Chris had untied his horse from the livery stables and began to walk down the dirt track road. For some reason he had felt like walking with his horse through the town tonight, maybe it was the sudden weariness that he was feeling. It had been a long few days for everyone it seemed, particularly himself. He had faced up to his denial of just how bad things had been since Ella, and even though he and Buck were back to normal, the weight of the decision about what he was going to do concerning Ella bore down hard on him. He had wanted to speak to Amy, apologise about his outburst earlier, but also a foolish part of him had hoped that she would have helped him to decide which option to take with Ella. And now she was gone. She was probably long gone. As far away from him and this town as she could get, away from the crazy man who had poured his heart out to her after threatening her.

"Larabee!"

The recognition of his name snapped him out of his thoughts and back to reality. He stopped, beside the saloon, he hadn't realised how far along the road he had gotten already. Perched on the wooden bars outside of the saloon sat Amy, idly swinging her legs. He soaked in the image of her as she hopped down and started walking over towards him. She was wearing a white man's shirt, baggy and loose that reached down almost to her knees, a pair of brown trousers that he also suspected belonged to a man, tucked into her dusty brown boots.

"Well now, don't you look like you've seen a ghost…" she grinned, speaking softly.

Realising that he had been staring at her with his mouth and eyes wide open in shock he looked at his feet to mask his embarrassment, composing himself before looking back up at her, confused,

"I thought you'd left town…Nathan said…" His brow furrowed as he recalled the conversation in his head.

"Nathan had some good points about how this ain't properly healed yet," she interrupted him, gesturing towards her arm tied up in a sling. "Besides, don't fancy much ridin' out into the middle of a storm," she laughed.

"But when it's gone, so are you?" He stared intently as she looked down, her features gently creasing in contemplation.

"That was the plan," she decided, but when she looked up he thought he could see indecision in her eyes. He turned his attention to her injured arm,

"You never did mention what actually happened with that"

"You never asked what actually happened"

He couldn't help but smile at her, "You always this good at avoidin' answerin' questions?"

"Pretty much," she winked at him, crinkling her nose as she smiled.

"I'll start with an easy one then, where did ya' get the clothes from?"

She stared at him for a moment, clearly confused as to what he meant, but then realisation swept across her face, "Nathan lent me some old clothes," she looked down at herself, "he said they might be a bit too big…" she giggled as she lifted her good arm up, with the shirt sleeve overhanging her hand. "He also said that I should ask J.D. if I need to borrow more clothes," she continued to giggle.

"Definitely closer ta' your size," Chris chuckled. The conversation seemed to be going well, perhaps he could try to find out more about her again? He pondered the thought for a second, wondering how far he could push the questioning before she would close up.

"Why are ya' so eager to ride on? Worried family or somethin?" He waited intently for an answer, and as the smile faded from Amy's face he knew he had instantly asked the wrong question. She continued to gaze at him in silence for what seemed an age,

"I don't have a family," she sighed finally, "at least not anymore…" she muttered almost unintelligibly.

Chris looked down at this woman, unable to mask his concern, but said nothing. She was staring straight ahead, looking at about his chest level, her eyes unblinking as she spoke,

"When my mother died, my dad kinda became..._obsessed_…" she paused, biting her lip, "he thought that someone had murdered her…taken her from him on purpose…" her eyes flickered up to his, "It wasn't like your wife…I think it was an accident….An' well he just kinda left, ta' search for this _'murderer'_…"

"He **left** you? Alone?" He couldn't stop the incredulous tone in his voice.

"Not straight away…He waited a couple of years…until I was 14, but even when he was there, he wasn' really…" she was staring at his chest now, and he swore he could hear the very slightest wobble to her voice, "….he's dead now…" her voice trailed off as she finished.

He hated himself slightly for asking her a question which obviously had opened up old wounds. She looked so sad and confused, that he felt a strange and overwhelming sensation to wrap an arm around her, but he restrained, partly for fear of making her feel uncomfortable and partly for fear of crushing her already injured arm.

"I'm sorry…" he mustered the words out, somehow managing to string them together in a tone that didn't sound too patronising or pitying.

"It's fine," she looked up at him again, "really, it's fine," she repeated herself, sensing the scepticism in his eyes, "It's in the past now," she managed a weak smile.

"You got somewhere to stay, for tonight at least?"

"The hotel's got a few spare rooms, said I can have one for s'long as I'd like, and can pay for," she chuckled.

"Does that mean you might be stayin' for a while?" he raised an eyebrow questioningly, and Amy raised one of her own eyebrows in a mischievous expression,

"I might be able ta' find a couple reasons ta' stay for a **little** while…we'll see…"

She turned around and started make her way back towards the saloon. She lifted her good arm,

"Night, Mr. Larabee".

He smiled to himself as he watched her pick up her jacket which had been slung over the bar she'd been sitting on, and then walked over towards the hotel.

"Goodnight Amy".

**The End**

I hope you guys enjoyed my story, and I hope you liked the character of Amy, I'm planning on including her in a series of Magnificent Seven stories, continuing on from this one, but I'm not sure how many yet. Thank you for reading


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